Anyone for tennis?

It was an exciting day for ball girls on Wimbledon's No. 1 Court yesterday - one clattered by a racing 6'3" Frenchman, and one knocking up with the 24th seed in front of 12,000 people.

While tearing across court to return a drop shot, Michael Llodra careered into the umpire’s chair and collided with Erin Lorencin, 15. Llodra hauled the embarrassed ballgirl to her feet, gave her a hug and brushed himself off, but shortly afterwards was forced to concede the match as he hobbled off for treatment.

His opponent, Tommy Haas, clearly felt he hadn't yet had his money's worth so decided to play on with ball girl Chloe Chambers, also 15. Haas's stand-in opponent, a pupil at a local school and a tennis devotee, acquitted herself so well that the German pro even began to receive cries of encouragement from spectators. Chambers displayed a solid array of racquet skills but finally blew it, it has to be said, with an overly ambitious lob. Something to work on for next year.